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Motorcycle helmet law-statement-Dickey
Source :By Robert Dickey, President, KQV Newsradio :Broadcast: June 16, 17, 18 2006 The Ben Roethlisberger Saga! The motorcycle accident involving Steelers' Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this week came as a bolt out of the blue to people in Pittsburgh and across the country. The accident has dominated the news since it happened. According to the medical specialists at Mercy Hospital his injuries, while serious, including multiple facial fractures, should not cause permanent disability, and hopefully, he will recover without lasting effects. He is now at home recuperating. Thrust into the forefront of this unfortunate occurrence is the debate of whether or not motorcyclists should be required, by law, to wear helmets. At the time of his accident, Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet. In fact, he openly refused to do so, in spite of urgings by former teammates, his coaches, and owners. In 2003, the easily-persuaded Pennsylvania legislature, goaded by special interests, repealed a mandatory helmet law, then in effect for more 30 years, to allow qualified motorcyclists over the age of 21 the option to not wear a helmet. It was signed by Governor Ed Rendell. While most of the legislators who voted for the 2003 repeal refused to comment following Ben's mishap, the Governor defended the revision, suggesting that, while possibly life-threatening, like eating red meat or smoking, whether or not to wear a helmet should be a matter of personal choice, not subject to state law. In our opinion, this rationale qualifies as one of the more illogical and inconsistent to come out of Harrisburg in years. Isn't this the same state law that insists that motorcyclists under 21 must wear a helmet? Why not under age 18; that's the state's minimum voting age? After all, if a person has the right to make choices at the polls at age 18, shouldn't motorcyclists, otherwise qualified, between the ages of 18 to 21, also have the legal option to choose whether or not to wear a helmet? And, aren't all of us who operate motor vehicles subject to state and federal laws which mandate the use of seat belts and special restraints for our underage passengers? Isn't your "Click It or Ticket" media blitz an intimidating reminder to us hard working, taxpaying drivers that we no longer have a choice? In truth, over the years, we've generally opposed any of "Big Brother" government's intrusive, allegedly humanitarian, mandates to tell us what it thinks is good for us. But, in this instance, there is such a preponderance of evidence in support of the safety benefits of motorcyclists wearing helmets; we urge the re-enactment of the helmet law to what it was prior to 2003. If there is to be a silver lining in this dark cloud of Ben Roethlisberger's near fatal accident, let it be that it motivated the state legislature and Governor Rendell to correct their stupid mistake of three years ago! In the meantime, we wish Ben Roethlisberger a speedy and full recovery and we hope to see him again as quarterback of the Super Steelers this fall. Links * Motorcycle_helmet_law category:Planks_from_elsewhere